Caring surrounds Du Quoin's Special Olympics Athletes

There will be 15 student athletes from Du Quoin High School and 18 from the Du Quoin Elementary School and Du Quoin Middle School competing this Friday at the Special Olympics event at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The parade of athletes kicks off at 9:20 a.m. and the DHS Trash Can Drumline led by DHS Band Director Denise Smith will perform again at the opening ceremony. This year's events will be held at the new Itchy Jones Baseball Stadium, and Lew Hartzog Track Complex.

Students competing for DHS are Brenna Asbury, Shellie Baker, Brandon Cornwall, Elizabeth Davis, Brooke Dunham, Dakota Duppong, Bart Eberhardt, Michael Ellison, Brandon Ferrari, Jordan Grizzell, Katie Kim, Kayla Lynch, Andy Macaluso, Kevin Pierce, and Iann Vaz. Cody Heape and Tony Johnson will attend as student helpers. Kevin Pierce was selected to be one the torch runners for this years event.

DHS teachers Scott Loyd, Pete Baird, and Derek Beard will be taking their three DHS classes to participate in this year's event. The Tri-County CHOICES programs have attended the special Olympics since coming to DHS seven years ago. The REACHES programs have attended since starting in DuQuoin three years ago.

Students competing from Mrs. Holland's DMS REACHES program are, Bailey Woodsides, Chance Norris, Makayla Tilley, Johnel Ford, Mary Schultz, Jaymel Conrad, Bailey Sturgeon, Jacob Bealer, Dakota Watts, James Conrad and Jon Merkel.

Students competing from Mrs. Bunton's DES REACHES program are, Eric Karnes, Dominic Grogan, Connor Grogan, Javen Moore, Zachary Maple, Ryann Sprinkle and Aften Konkel.

DHS Social Studies teacher Sarah Geiger will be taking 15 DHS seniors to work as part of event staff and Ryan Summers DHS government teacher will take 24 seniors to work as student coaches. Mrs. Geiger has been taking senior volunteers for the last five years and Mr. Summers is taking students for his second year. Mrs. Geiger has taken seniors to work the event for the last five years and requests from previous senior classes who were interested in working the event led to Mr. Summers adding the special Olympics event to the community service project that DHS seniors complete in their senior year. The senior support has been an enormous help with nearly 30 student athletes from District 300 competing and being spread out over the large venue.